Rules & Regulations

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SCHOLARSHIP RULES**  

**Rules & Regulations**

 

**Exceeding Expectations**

**Award Amount**: $1000

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HBCU

Award Amount: $500

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Up Next 

Award Amount $250

 

**Applicant Eligibility**  

- Applicant must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident of the United States. Employees of Exceeding Expectations Project & Scholarship Foundation, its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, and members of said employees’ immediate family and those living in the same household of employees are not eligible.  

- Applicant/student must be a current or incoming High School Senior, or College Freshman. Applicant must have a cumulative High School and/or College grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4-point scale and be enrolled full-time at a local High School within eligible counties (Sacramento County, Alameda County, San Joaquin or Contra Costa County).  

- College Freshman must be enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university between May 1, 2023, and February 2024.  

- Applicants attending military academies are ineligible for this scholarship. See College/University Approval section for more details.

 

**Application Period**  

- Apply between **February 14, 2025 - March 31, 2025**.

 

**Scholarship Award Distribution**  

- Scholarship Awards will be paid out to high school seniors and above by **August 15, 2025**.  

- Scholarship awards given to students that are high school juniors or younger will be given on **August 15th of the year they graduate high school**.

 

**Required Documentation**  

To be considered for an academic scholarship, all applicants must submit a completed application form through the online application portal, including the following documents:  

- Transcripts from the applicant’s current or most recently attended high school, college, or university. Transcripts that have been downloaded, screenshot, or printed and scanned directly from the applicant’s college or university website are acceptable for the submission of the scholarship application. However, Exceeding Expectations Project & Scholarship Foundation must receive official transcripts directly from the student’s university before scholarship funds can be released to scholarship recipients.  

- Resume  

- 1 reference (who is not a family member).  

- Short Essay (answer question in application) 

 

**Distribution of Payments**  

- The winning recipient will receive a one-time, $250 - $1000 scholarship to be applied to qualified expenses, including graduate and undergraduate tuition, fees, books, and on-campus room and board.  

- To be eligible for scholarship payment, applicants must provide written proof of enrollment in the program by **August 15, 2025**.  

 

**Conditions of Award**  

- Academic year for which the scholarship is provided will be identified in the award.  

- If any other funds pay entirely for the tuition, fees, books, and on-campus room and board for the student's academic year, the student is eligible to request direct payment, provided verification of zero balance owing at the College or University is received by **August 1, 2025**.  

 

**Winner Selection and Announcement**  

- The winner will be announced on **May 29, 2025**.  

- Initial notice to scholarship finalists will be sent via email to the address provided on the application. Initial notice will go out by **April 20, 2025**.  

- Final notice of awarded scholarships will be sent after verification is complete, by **May 22, 2025**.

 

**Award Ceremony**  

- There will be an award ceremony on **June 7, 2025**. Each student is invited to participate; winners in attendance will receive their awards and winner packages.